I suppose the gape of an open mouth was probably my least redeeming feature, but it was better than letting out a rant about how I wasn’t a rich person who could afford to splash money around when I could barely handle the rent on my living quarters.
As if he understood, Timothy held up his hand. “Easy, my sweetling. We’ll just drive to San Francisco for the day and have a picnic lunch. Then, we can return when the park closes. Is that acceptable?”
I nodded, feeling a bit like a party pooper at that point. Timothy had suggested such a marvelous idea for going to a place I’d been wanting to go, and I’d immediately stamped on it, probably rudely, too. But Timothy didn’t act upset. He just asked to use my tablet so he could check San Francisco’s zoo hours.
“Ten to five,” he said after a minute. “Perfect. That means we could leave here around eight, but then we’d hit traffic. I’ll make a deal with you. If we leave a five, we could eat breakfast in a small coffee shop near the zoo, and by doing that, we could sail down the freeway, avoiding most of the traffic. Does that sound good?”
Of course, I nodded. I even praised his clear thinking.
He smiled, picked up my hand, and after one of his incredible hand kisses, bid me goodnight.
As I was seeing him out, he turned to look at me. “Another time we can be truly adventurous and go down to San Diego. I’d be willing to book us two rooms if that’s what you’re worried about.”
I would guess that my cheeks, which had warmed from the idea of even separate rooms, were sending out beacons about being a prude, but I needed to make it clear to Timothy that it was something different that was bothering me. I absolutely couldn’t be a big spender.
Before I could get that thought out, Timothy added, “You know I plan to marry you. That means that whatever I have is yours. No more money worries, my dear. You deserve a shift in thinking. If you want something, buy it. If you need cash, ask.”
That caused me a sputter and a half. Was this a marriage proposal? Did Timothy think I wanted to be a bubble-headed, kept woman?